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A lick and a prayer

First Presbyterian hosts annual social, fundraiser

Beth Schultz (left) and Jean Babcock, executive director of the Bureau County Health and Wellness Clinic, stand with just a few of the items up for grabs during the silent and live auctions that will be held at the First Presbyterian Church’s eighth annual ice cream social this Saturday.

PRINCETON — The First Presbyterian Church of Princeton is revving up to host its eighth annual ice cream social this Saturday, Aug. 16.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on the front lawn of the church, located at 320 Park Ave. East.

There will be live and silent auctions with items ranging from all shapes, sizes and price ranges — theme gift baskets, gift cards, original artwork, baked goods, jewelry, corn and soybean seed, baseball tickets to the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, a portable hand-built picnic table constructed by 15-year-old Luke Schultz of Princeton and much more.

Silent auction bids will be accepted from 5 to 7:15 p.m. The live auction begins at 7:30 p.m.

Several local gospel musicians will be performing throughout the evening, and there will also be children’s activities.

All proceeds of the event will be donated to the Bureau County Health and Wellness Clinic, which provides low cost health care to Bureau County residents who are uninsured, underinsured or who cannot find a primary physician.

Beth Schultz, who has played a significant role in the ice cream social events, explained about eight years ago, the church decided to do a local outreach that would benefit a wide range of community members.

“They thought the health and wellness clinic would serve everybody in one way or another. There’s a huge group of people in the county the clinic does affect, and it seems like the need for the clinic is growing everyday,” she said.

Throughout the years, the church has raised around $100,000 from its ice cream social events, which has all been donated to the clinic.

Jean Babcock, executive director of the clinic, said the church and outreach program has touched the lives of many people.

“It’s a small parish, but there are very few people who don’t do something for this auction. I think everybody does something,” she said. “They are a remarkable group of people who have raised incredible sums of money.”

The clinic has been serving patients since its start-up in 2002. The clinic’s first location was in a storefront on Main Street in downtown Princeton, and today is located on the former Covenant Children’s Home property on Elm Place. The clinic is supported strictly by community outreach fundraisers and patient and private donations.

There are five volunteer physicians and one nurse who treats patients.

Babcock explained what used to be a clinic that treated patients for the usual colds, sore throats and sinus infections, has turned into a place that now treats chronic disease management.

“When you’re battling a chronic disease, I think every physician will agree that you need a continuity of care, and that’s what we provide at the clinic,” she said.